Activity details
The Lower Rhine Council plans to improve the global strategy and its application through an ambitious crosscutting action plan. The main purpose is to create stronger synergies between all local stakeholders in order to find innovative solutions, closest to the needs of the Lower-Rhine citizens.
In order to develop innovative solutions, it is necessary to understand old elderly people (issues, needs, will, etc..) and their environments. The Lower Rhine territory has done a study about seniors (lifestyle, housing, services, revenues, social allowance, independency, etc.): The study shows that the situation and needs differ from one territory to another. An Observatory will allow in the future a deeper analysis and understanding, to establish a comprehensive approach and to develop innovative projects or experimentations that will respond to specific needs. Furthermore, The Lower Rhine Council will adapt the World Health Organization initiative “age friendly cities” on its territory aiming at building an ageing well ecosystem, co-created with all interested stakeholders and adjusted to the specificities of this territory. Topics might be: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, community support and health services.
Action Group:
- D4 Age friendly environments
Lead organisation name:
Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin
Organisation country:
- France
Contact person:
Véronique BREINING, Silver Economy project manager - Philippe FISCHER, European affairs project manager - Léa RALLU, Policy officer Silver Development
Contact person email:
veronique.breining@bas-rhin.fr - philippe.fischer@bas-rhin.fr - lea.rallu@bas-rhin.fr
Activity type:
- Commitment
Start date:
01/01/2016
End date:
01/01/2018
Geographic_coverage:
- Champagne-Ardenne, Alsace, Bas-Rhin, Lorraine
Last update: 03/02/2017
Current Status
Ongoing
“Towards an age-friendly Wasselonne”
To adapt its territory to the World Health Organisation initiative « age friendly cities », the Lower Rhine Council is conducting a study in the rural town of Wasselonne to define the needs and the wishes of the elderly. It will consist in interviewing around 700 persons over 65 in order to detect their difficulties, understand their needs and listen to their wishes to make the town more age friendly. It will also be a way to provide advice to the elderly who are not already aware of the existing solutions to make their environment age-friendly (home adaptation, financial support …).
To conduct this study, two young people, participating in a civic service at the Lower Rhine Council, have been requested to organise the interviews of the population. They will hold the interviews together with a team of younger and older volunteers, increasing intergenerational links through civic engagement. Around 15 people are now being trained for this study so that they can, in addition to the interviews, advise the elderly about frail prevention and the different existing solutions to adapt their home to their situation.
Next steps: The interviews will start in the beginning of 2017 and last around 4 months. The data will then be collected and studied by a consultancy specialised in social statistics. Based on the results, the urban environment may be adapted, and new products for the elderly may be developed in accordance with the wishes of the elderly (tourism, culture, volunteering opportunities …)
Supporting prevention
The Lower Rhine Council and its partners are financially supporting prevention actions for active and healthy ageing. Therefore 300.000€ have been dedicated to encourage local initiatives to improve frail prevention in the whole territory. For example, an e-learning platform for professional and informal carers has been selected among other projects in order to raise awareness about the risks and consequence of falls among older people.